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Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:06 pm
by yunomi donchu
I have a question for all you producers on dsf who split freqs.

Right let me start off by how i do this so all is clear.
(i work in cubase 5 btw but this should be universal)

Bassline split in this way:

3 fx channels wich i use as sends:

Low = Mono
Mid = Stereo
Hi = Stereo

The main bas channel routed to the sends with the fader at zero so all sound comes purely form the three sends.
Then i have 1 stereo group channel to group all sends to 1 channel.

Now my question is.

Since sub needs to be mono i have it on a mono send. But in the end it goes to the stereo groupchannel with the other sends.
Is this the right way to do it? Since in my opninion this turns the bass to stereo again or am i just getting this wrong?
Ifso how do yall set up the whole splitting freqs thing?

Thanx!

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:28 pm
by lowpass
Look at it this way, at the end of your mix you bounce down to a stereo mix, does this make your bass and less "mono"

Sorry if I'm answering the wrong question, you seem to be asking does a mono bass going to a stereo channel make it "stereo"

mono means it's coming out of both speakers at the same volume, this gives it the mono sound. Having the sound come from the middle of the speakers is like an audio illusion, it still comes from both speakers

edit: I usually

Low-30-150/200
Mid-150/200 - 1/2k
High-1/2k +

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:42 pm
by cartoon_head
What he said. I wondered the same thing actually when i started splitting the frequencies and setting them to mono/stereo according then grouping all together in a stereo channel. The sub will still be mono. But if you are unsure, put a stereo imager on the master channel.

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:56 pm
by yunomi donchu
lowpass wrote:Look at it this way, at the end of your mix you bounce down to a stereo mix, does this make your bass and less "mono"

Sorry if I'm answering the wrong question, you seem to be asking does a mono bass going to a stereo channel make it "stereo"

mono means it's coming out of both speakers at the same volume, this gives it the mono sound. Having the sound come from the middle of the speakers is like an audio illusion, it still comes from both speakers

edit: I usually

Low-30-150/200
Mid-150/200 - 1/2k
High-1/2k +

Thanx for the replie :wink:
I split at around the same frequenties. That's not the problem.
I was just wondering how you guys do it seems like the same way so no problem.
I actually thought about the stereo masterchannel thing too. It sounds nice this way
so it must be okay :)

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:31 pm
by lowpass
Yeah man a big misconception you want to avoid as well is taking the same instrument, doubling it and panning each one hard left / hard right to give you a "wide" stereo image. Only works if there's a difference between the 2 sources (time, eq etc) I've seen a few people do this, you only get a louder signal

those crossovers may work for you they may not. Everyone has their own thing, I can't even remember if that's what I used, experiment and see what gives you the best sound man,

good luck

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:20 pm
by nitz
lowpass wrote:Yeah man a big misconception you want to avoid as well is taking the same instrument, doubling it and panning each one hard left / hard right to give you a "wide" stereo image. Only works if there's a difference between the 2 sources (time, eq etc) I've seen a few people do this, you only get a louder signal

those crossovers may work for you they may not. Everyone has their own thing, I can't even remember if that's what I used, experiment and see what gives you the best sound man,

good luck
@lowpass am guessing you referring to the big mono? yes.. no..?

If i member my facts rights, the big mono was (or still can happen at times) a problem that happened while around the idea of stereo of was coming out, Engineers would have stereo channels and because they did not fully understand how this idea worked, so when it came to the mixing stage and panning, what they use to do has pan stereo channel hard left and rigth but of course stereo channels have to sources, so what they where doing was really just doing just creating a big mono song hence then name...

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:39 pm
by lowpass
close but not quite,

big-mono in my books is taking a stereo recording from each instrument panning hard left, hard right. this makes an instrument sound very nice but when applied to every single instrument just gives you a mono recording (although probably a very nice sounding one) hence the name big mono

panning a mono source hard left and hard right gives you just mono, nothing different except the volume difference.

I'm sure macc will be through soon to prove me wrong anyway, but I can feel right for a while :)

Re: Freq splitting mono-stereo-mono..?

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:10 pm
by nitz
Yeh, in basic terms big mono happen when you many stereo sources that are paned hard left or right, so therefore you are not creating much panorama cuz everything is paned one way or the other... therefore you are not creating the center (middle speaker) feel.

Yeh am sure Macc can clarify of this.